Kate

See also: kate, katė, kåte, Käte, katę, and kɑte

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

Kate

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /keɪt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪt

Proper noun

Kate (plural Kates)

1. A diminutive of the female given name Katherine and related names, also used as a formal given name.
   • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 216, column 1:

     Pet[ruchio]. […] Enter Katerina. / Good morrow Kate, for thats your name I heare.
     Kate. Well haue you heard, but ſomething hard of hearing: / They call me Katerine, that do talke of me.
     Pet. You lye infaith, for you are call'd plaine Kate, / And bony Kate, and ſometimes Kate the curſt: / But Kate, the prettieſt Kate in Chriſtendome, / Kate of Kate-hall, my ſuper-daintie Kate, / For dainties are all Kates, and therefore Kate / Take this of me, Kate of my conſolation, / Hearing thy mildneſſe prais'd in euery Towne, / Thy vertues ſpoke of, and thy beautie ſounded, / Yet not ſo deepely as to thee belongs, / My ſelfe am moou'd to woo thee for my wife.

   • 1830, Mary Russell Mitford, Our Village: Fourth Series: Cottage Names::

     A great number of children, amongst the lower classes, are Carolines. - - - A clergyman in my neighbourhood used to mistake the sound, and christen the babies Catharine; - a wise error, for Kate is a noble abbreviation.

   • 1944, A.J.Cronin, The Green Years, Little, Brown, and Company, page 62:

     "And I have such a horrible name. Think of it... Kate. Who would take Kate on a Moonlight Cruise...or out to the Minstrels at the point. If you ever do find me in the company of a strange young man, call me Irene. Promise me."

   • 2014, Elly Griffiths, Ruth Galloway: The Early Cases: A Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries Collection, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

     Ruth did know, but Kate was not named after Hecate or Auntie Catherine or Santa Caterina of Siena (suggested by a Catholic priest of Ruth's acquaintance). She was simply Kate because Ruth liked the name. It was attractive without being twee, strong without being hard. You could hear it prefaced by Doctor or followed by MP. At the same time it was cute enough for a baby.

   • 2025 March 26, Jordan Valinsky, “Chili’s is opening a retro restaurant in Scranton that celebrates ‘The Office’”, in CNN Business‎, archived from the original on 16 April 2025:

     Chili’s has also enlisted several actors from “The Office” to star in the ads, including Melora Hardin (Jan Levinson), Andy Buckley (David Wallace), Brian Baumgartner (Kevin Malone) and Kate Flannery (Meredith Palmer).

Derived terms

• Kate Greenaway

Descendants

• → Scottish Gaelic: Ceit
• →⇒ Scottish Gaelic: Ceiteag, Ceitidh

Anagrams

• keta, take, teak

Danish

Etymology

From English Kate.

Proper noun

Kate

1. a female given name

References

• Danskernes Navne, based on CPR data: ca. 4829 females with the given name Kate have been registered in Denmark between about 1890 (=the population alive in 1967) and January 2005. Accessed on March 20th, 2011.